


Pull Me Under

by LightStorm



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU: Miraculous Holder, Art in each chapter, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, TIME SKIP: 3 years
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-25 20:50:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6209605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightStorm/pseuds/LightStorm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nathanaël desperately wants a normal high school experience.<br/>He learns the hard way that not everyone can have what they want.</p><p>[Time skip: 3 years; AU: Miraculous Holder; Art in each chapter.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

September. The dreaded month for students everywhere.

It was that time once again, and for the class of 2021 it was the beginning of yet another year of high school.

...Or was. A few days ago, when school actually started. Specifics aside, things were going pretty typically for the start of the school year. Less homework, effortless review classwork, customary _anxiety-inducing icebreaker games_ … In fact, so far it was all going pretty well in Nathanaël’s opinion; which by his luck, surely meant everything would go downhill in the near future. The universe was practically foreshadowing it— Decent teachers, friends in all of his classes but one, and even a class with Marinette. The only thing that could have been better was managing to avoid _Chloe_ completely. He ended up having two classes with her, but opted to sit in the back for both. Hopefully his positioning would help him avoid any interaction with her, allowing him to slip under the devil-incarnate’s radar.

Nathanaël dropped his backpack at his room’s doorway and sprawled out on his bed, sighing quietly as he let himself sink into the mattress. Back to a happier subject, though. _Marinette_. He supposed it was a little bittersweet— It had been 3 years now, and still he hadn't been able to build a good relationship with the person that he admired most. Of course he desperately wanted it, but, well, combine a shy nature with anxiety and you get a stuttering mess— if he managed to get past step one, that is: the approach. He could usually force out a few good sentences at most, the rest being jumbled messes— The encounters often ended with him smiling awkwardly, hurriedly making an excuse to leave.  

It didn’t help that Alix and Rose _insisted_ on “giving a push in the right direction” (Read: unexpectedly setting him up). There… Well, wasn’t exactly a lot of success with it. They never actually told him of their plans in advance, and thus it had resulted in a few ridiculous situations over the years; most of which backfired. For example, the Pudding Incident of Freshman Year. Nathanaël wasn’t too keen on reliving that memory.

At this point he had just accepted his fate, thankful that Marinette didn’t seem too annoyed with his presence after all the trouble he caused her— Nathanaël was perfectly content with just watching afar and sketching.

He didn't mean to be creepy— All he wanted was to make her unique beauty timeless, just as any other artist would. It was true that he liked Marinette, but he never really considered himself a “lewd” person. drawing anything... Well, shameful, was out of the question. That kind of thing went _far_ into the realm of “weird”  that he _highly_ doubted he would ever approach. The things currently at the top of his list were, oh, probably running his fingers through her hair. Maybe feeling her fingertips brush his hand? Or sleeping with her pillow. He could feel the pace of his heart quicken slightly, singing in its own way.

On second thought, maybe some of that stuff _was_ weird. At least the pillow part. God. He was a romantic mess. He reached his arm above his head, grabbed a cushion, and promptly pressed it into his face, feeling the heat of a blush washing over his features. He sighed into it, this time in defeat, and curled onto his side, feeling the pillow slip from his grasp and drop onto the floor. Well, now was as good of a time to take a nap as ever, doubly so to wipe his emotional slate clean.

He had closed his eyes for a good two seconds before a high-pitched voice interrupted his almost-nap.

“Thinking about your crushes, Lover Boy?”

There was a flash of green at the corner of his eye, and Nathanael snapped his head up, craning his neck to look over at his backpack. Unzipped, unlike how he had left it. He groaned internally, turning to look over his shoulder. He found what he anticipating moment later— a tiny lizard-like sprite perched on his worktable.

Nathanaël lied down again, his back to the green kwami, frowning with exasperation.

“By the way, stop dropping your backpack so carelessly. Everything flies around in there,” the sprite complained.

“Yeah,” he responded absently, messing with the edge of his bed’s covers.

“Hey! Are you listening to me?” Nathanaël rolled his eyes at the sound of the fairy zipping through the air towards him, quickly picking up the pillow from off the ground, and pressed it over his head. He felt a faint tug on the pillow, and he gripped it harder.

“Leave me alone!” he demanded, his voice muffled.

“Then don’t toss me around!” the kwami responded angrily, her voice equally distant thanks to the pillow’s feathers.

The boy lifted the pillow off his face, sitting up to talk to her, an irritated tightness to his voice. “I’m sorry, Verrs. I didn’t realize you went in my backpack.” He leaned towards her slightly, smiling humorlessly. “After all, I told you _not to come to school with me_.”

The kwami refused to back down, zipping right in front of his nose. She crossed her arms, scowling. “There’s no reason for me not to come with! Stop leaving me behind!” After a brief glaring contest between them, she flew back to the backpack— The sprite burrowed in, and returned with a bangle in hand moments later. “How are you going to transform without me or your miraculous?” she asked as she waved the oxidized silver around in front of him, irritated.

Nathanaël pursed his lips, considered having the same conversation he had with the fairy-like creature that morning, and decided against it. Nathanaël stood up off the bed, pushing the sprite easily out of the way with his hand. Moving to rummage through his backpack, he pulled out his phone.

“Where do you think you’re going?” came the angry voice in his ear, and he sighed, pocketing his phone.

“Out. Don’t follow me,” he replied levelly, and the kwami floated behind him protesting angrily.

“Nathanael! You can’t just leave me here!”

He shrugged his shoulders casually, hands in his jacket pockets, and make his way down the stairs. There was a hint of smugness in his voice. “Oh, I can’t?”

“Nathanael!” She quickly caught up, floating in ahead of him as he walked, waving the silver bangle at him. “Take it!”

“No,” he responded, shooing her away as he neared the door.

“At least let me hide in your jacket, you brat!” she hissed, flying to hover between him and the doorway.

“Verrs. Move.” Nathanael frowned sternly, hand on his hip.

“Make me!” the kwami challenged boldly, all but a few inches tall.

He blinked slowly, controlling his exasperation, and moved towards the doorknob. The kwami zipped towards his hand, biting it with tiny fangs, but Nathanaël had seen this routine before— He easily brushed the creature off, perhaps a bit more roughly than was necessary. Opening the door as quickly as possible, he slipped out and slammed it shut before the kwami could possibly follow. He winced as high pitched shouting became muffled behind the door. A few passersby waiting to cross the street gave him a strange look, and he smiled meekly.

“S- Siblings, right?” Nathanaël laughed nervously. “They want to follow me wherever I go.” One of the men looked away, satisfied, and a woman smiled politely. He sighed internally with relief and took to walking down towards the streets of Paris.

God, he _really_ regretted “buying” that bangle. It was probably tied for “worst decision of my life” with being akumatized. He didn’t actually remember any of the later _per say_ , but from what other people had told him he had A.) terrorized Chloe (the better part of the deal), and B.) _completely_ embarrassed himself by shamelessly asking Marinette out on a romantic boat date, on which she only went to help Chat Noir take him out.

Aaaand he may have tried to drown them. Just a little bit.

He hadn’t been all there— it wasn’t _actually_ his decision. Not that it helped him feel any less bad about it, of course. He distinctly remembers apologizing to Marinette at least 15 times for what he had done. He also apologized to Chat Noir, but the hero wasn’t exactly available to talk most of the time, and the apology came long after the fact. Long enough that he had actually needed to remind Chat of what happened— Apparently the situation had slipped the laidback hero’s mind.

In the end he couldn’t blame Marinette for duping him; after all, that was just clever Marinette being, well, _clever_. ...But at the same time, it kind of hurt knowing that she betrayed him, even when he couldn’t remember it.

Nathanaël sighed. No point in dwelling on it. He’d been walking down the streets lost in thought for quite a few minutes now— Not that he was lost, he knew the city quite well, actually— But he felt like actually going somewhere specific or finding something to do.

In a sudden realization, he mentally kicked himself. In his hurry he had forgotten his sketchbook and pencil. Hopefully, Verrs wouldn’t try to go through it again, but it was extremely unlikely that the kwami would leave any of his stuff alone. Something he’d learned the hard way was to keep everything important far out of her reach.

Well, regardless, life-drawing was out. He moved out of the way of people on the sidewalk and leaned against a storefront, pulling out his phone.

 

>(The Quadforce) 5:14pm [NH: Anyone want to hang out?]

>(The Quadforce) 5:16pm [Mlle. PINK: Can’t today sry Nath!!]

>(The Quadforce) 5:23pm [Jules: im stuck watching my brother]

>(The Quadforce) 5:23pm [Jules: no fun allowed. no friends allowed. help..]

>(The Quadforce) 5:24pm [Mlle. PINK: Omg Julie.. I’m sorry.. SOS]

>(The Quadforce) 5:24pm [NH: lol goof luck]

>(The Quadforce) 5:25pm [NH: GOOD*]

>(The Quadforce) 5:25pm [Jules: you make that typo every five seconds i swear]

>(The Quadforce) 5:25pm [NH: I don’t have time for spell check, im a busy guy.]

>(The Quadforce) 5:26pm [Mylène: WOW! You all have been busy, my phone crashed when I tried to open this!! :) ]

>(The Quadforce) 5:26pm [Mylène: Sorry though Nathanaël I can’t hang out right now!! :’( Maybe tomorrow?]

>(The Quadforce) 5:26pm [Jules: your phone is sooo old lmao]

>(The Quadforce) 5:26pm [NH: @Mylene I have art club tomorrow. D:]

>(The Quadforce) 5:26pm [Mlle. PINK: @Nath go ask Alix to hang out!! They asked me toda]

>(The Quadforce) 5:27pm [Mlle. PINK: toda*]

>(The Quadforce) 5:27pm [Mlle. PINK: today!!!! todaytodaytodaYYYY]

>(The Quadforce) 5:27pm [NH: @Rose lol... I would but I’m not one for being roped into extreme sports… I’d probably kill myself doing a sick 360 kickflip]

>(The Quadforce) 5:27pm [Mylène: I’m sure you would do fine Nathanael! :) You should text them and do sick kickflips together! With helmets, of course!]

>(The Quadforce) 5:27pm [NH: Probably not]

>(The Quadforce) 5:28pm [Jules: DO IT]

>(The Quadforce) 5:28pm [NH: ]

>(The Quadforce) 5:28pm [Mylène: What is that? I just see a box!]

>(The Quadforce) 5:28pm [Mlle. PINK: JUS DO IT. DONT LET YOUR DREA]

>(The Quadforce) 5:28pm [NH: @Mylène it’s an emoji of you buying a smartphone]

>(The Quadforce) 5:29pm [Mlle. PINK: I dropped my phone. I’ve failed you all]

>(The Quadforce) 5:29pm [Jules: Rose im sorry but im voting you off meme island]

>(The Quadforce) 5:31pm [Mylène: @Nath you liar!!! Your pants are as on fire as Juleka’s mixtapes!!!!]

>(The Quadforce) 5:31pm [Jules: Ayyyy not exactly the right phrasing but ayyyyy]

 

>Yeah my pants are pretty ho—

 

And the screen went black.

Oops. He should have expected that to happen when his phone hadn’t charged since the morning. Well, at least he got to chat with everyone, even though nobody could hang out. It was nice to just wander the streets and take in the views once in awhile, and Nathanaël guessed that today was as good a day for it as ever.

 

* * *

 

It was nearing dusk.

The sun hung only minutely above the horizon, casting a vibrant palette of colors across the sky. Nathanaël had taken his time, absorbing the sights and sounds, the smells of the local bakeries and chatter of the people on the street. Paris really was a beautiful city, and it was nice to be able to take in the view with nowhere to be and no one to meet. At one point he actually _did_ see Nino passing by, but after a small chat they went their own ways again. Mostly it was just a _lot_ of walking down streets and admiring architecture. Not a problem, though. That kind of stuff really sparked inspiration.

The sun was setting quickly now though, and people were sparse on the street. Nathanaël began to make his way home under the streetlights, watching the red hues in the sky until they were no more.

It was about halfway home that he heard quite the familiar voice.

“Nice night tonight, isn’t it?” the purr came from just behind him, and Nathanaël jumped out of reflex, whipping around to face the voice. Surprised, he couldn't help but trip backwards. Chat grabbed his arm quickly enough to steady him, and Nathanaël felt his face redden.

“Thanks,” he tried weakly after regaining his footing.

“No _purr_ -oblem. It was my fault you were startled, anyway.” Chat smirked, possibly at his own pun, and Nathanaël couldn’t help but smile slightly, amused.

“So, um… Did you need something?” Nathanaël prompted after a moment of silence between them.

“Well, no, not really,” Chat admitted, shrugging with a charismatic smile. “You are Nathanaël, correct?”

“Oh. Um. Yes, I am.” He opened his mouth to ask ‘What do you need?’ on reflex, but clamped his mouth shut again after remembering that he had just done so.

Chat did not seem to skip a beat. “You’re quite a good artist, if I may say so! I’ve seen some of your work— Of me and my Lady, I mean. You really capture my suave essence,” he purred, puffing his chest out slightly, and then gestured with his hand. “And of course, my Lady’s captivating beauty! I suppose I just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done.”

“O- Oh. Well, thank you.” It took a moment to get the words out, a little dumbfounded that Chat Noir would stop him just to mention the drawings he did.

“Are you walking home?” Chat asked.

“Yes, I am,” Nathanaël answered.

“Well, in that case, I’ll go with you.”

“Wha-” Nathanaël gaped. “Aren’t you… You know, busy?”

“Not too busy for the best artist in Paris.” Chat winked, and Nathanaël felt his heart’s pace speed up, eyes widening. Oh god. Please, no. “Come,” Chat beckoned with his hand. “I’ll make sure you make it home safely.”

Nathanaël swallowed thickly, desperately trying to keep himself from reddening to no avail.

 

* * *

 

“That was Chat Noir!”

“Yeah. It was.”

“You didn’t tell me that you _knew Chat Noir!_ ” Verrs accused, crossing her arms.

“I— I didn’t know he knew _me_. This is news to me as much as you.” Nathanaël frowned as he plugged his phone in, his gaze glassing over for a moment as he thought.

“You seem to like him, and he seems to like you as well,” the green kwami observed, and Nathanaël scowled, pointedly ignoring Verrs and moving to sit on his bed. “Don’t make that face! You draw those two all the time; Ladybug and Chat Noir, I mean. Why draw other Miraculous users when you can be one?” Verrs drifted into his vision, voice persuasive. “I bet you could even make friends with them. All you need to do is use your Miraculous!”

“No,” Nathanaël muttered, looking far away for a moment. “No,” he said more firmly this time, and shook his head. “I don’t want to use that thing.”

“Look,” Verrs tried, in a softer tone. “You can’t run from destiny, and this _is it_ for you. You’re _meant_ to be a Miraculous holder.”

“None of that is true!” he denied angrily, standing up.

Verrs’ voice hardened again, flying back up to his eye level. “I don’t get it! Do you know how many people would _jump_ at the opportunity of having a Miraculous?” Verrs held her clenched hands to her chest, and Nathanaël looked away. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, I just don’t get it!” She then gestured widely, correcting herself. “Not even once in a lifetime, once in several I’d say! What kind of person refuses something like that!”

Nathanaël did not respond, and Verrs sighed, drifting to the bed and dropping onto it with a groan. Nathanaël looked down at her, and finally returned to sitting again.

“You’re the most difficult Miraculous user I’ve had in all my time, you know that?” A long silence went between them. “Hey, Kid... You look unhappy. Sad even,” she commented.

“I’m not,” he murmured, looking away from her.

“Stop lying. You’re not protecting anyone by doing it.”

He stayed silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Sup. I'm the author. Anyway, I feel like seeing notes at the end of every chapter ruins the mood and continuity of the piece, so I'm going to have a pastebin link at the bottom of each chapter. (Starting next time.) I'll answer questions and talk a little about the chapters + characters there.
> 
> I'd really appreciate comments as well; they really motivate me to make more content. If you have the time and motivation, I'd really love if you'd tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

The moon cast white light down onto the floor of Nathanaël’s room, wind blowing calmly through his open window. By the glow of his bedside alarm clock, he could see that it was well past 12. Nathanaël stared quietly into the darkness, feeling the calm of the night wash over him. He knew he would be tired tomorrow, but that was tomorrow’s problem.

He stayed like this for a while, until the faint sound of something moving pulled him from his muffled haze. A minute later he heard a pencil roll slowly across his worktable on the other side of the room; it seemed that he wasn’t the only one awake at this ungodly hour. Turning his head towards the sounds, he decided that he may as well use this time for _something_.

“Tell me about them.”

There was a sizable silence following his words, and Nathanaël wondered whether the sounds had been Verrs or just the wind after all.

“You’re going to need to be more specific, Lover Boy,” a voice came from the dark.

He stared quietly towards the voice, then looked up at the ceiling. “...Your other miraculous users. Tell me about them.”

“Ah,” the sprite murmured in the darkness. He heard a movement in the air, and the left side of his pillow dipped down slightly. “My favorite user,” Verrs started, voice much closer, “was an actor. The Miraculous suited him. We met… Hm. About three hundred years ago, I’d say. Time really does fly.”

Nathanaël let the silence sink in for a moment. “What was his name?”

“Alim,” she responded immediately. “He was eccentric, funny, laid-back. An artist; like you. Just a different kind.”

Nathanaël hummed in response. The dark room went quiet once again.

“He… Well, he didn’t go when he was supposed to. Too early. It was a shame, but… It happens.”

The boy considered asking how, but figured that was a bit too prodding. “I’m sorry,” he finally settled for.

“It’s fine,” came the somber reply. “Like I said, that’s just how things go.”

Nathanaël shifted to face her under the covers, changing the subject. “Did you ever have any female holders?”

“Of course,” Verrs scoffed. Nathanaël could imagine her tipping up her nose. “They seem to be the best at using my powers on average, I would say.”

“Anyone in particular?”

“Etkaska. A young Slavic lady. She was cool, collected, and incredibly precise with my powers. A quick mind to boot. There wasn’t much we couldn’t manage together.” The kwami’s voice sounded extremely fond.

Nathanaël made an observation. “It seems like the Miraculous move around the world, then. Middle East, Eastern Europe, and now we’re all the way in France.”

“Yes,” Verrs confirmed. “But we’re never too far away from each other.”

“They must all have… Whatever you are in them, then.”

“Kwami. Yes, there’s more to a Miraculous than what meets the eye.”

Nathanaël laughed bitterly. “I learned that one the hard way.”

“I would have found you eventually... One way or another. You’ve had more time to yourself than the average user, so no more avoiding responsibility.”

“...I’m not who you’re looking for, Verrs.”

“I disagree.” The kwami sounded determined. “You’re exactly who I was looking for.”

“Were you specifically looking for someone clumsy and slow? Or was your legendary String-of-Fate guidebook calling for the _least athletic person you could find?_ ” Nathanaël asked sarcastically. “Either way, you made a _fantastic_ choice, gotta say.”

“Well, for the record, it wasn’t exactly _my_ choice… It just sort of happens by itself...”  
He let out a flabbergasted laugh. “Wow, _thanks_. Really feeling the love.” For a few moments, Nathanaël thought quietly to himself, then sighed. “Even if I wanted to, _which I don’t_... I couldn’t be your Miraculous holder. I’d lose you in three seconds flat, and you know it.”

“Maybe,” Verrs admitted. “You won’t know how far you’d make it if you don’t try, though. I’m willing to take a chance on you. Shouldn’t that count for something?” She paused. “Besides. What about Evillustrator?”

“Evillustrator,” Nathanaël repeated. “He’s… That wasn’t actually me. I don’t even remember any of it.”

“Not remembering it doesn’t change the fact that you were him… And I’ve heard that you gave Chat Noir and Ladybug a run for their money.”

“...”

“Nathanaël.”

He looked away. “...What?”

“Please reconsider taking me with you. It’s safer for the both of us, even if you don’t use the Miraculous...”

“I don’t know.”

“Sleep on it.”

* * *

 

7:30AM, and Nathanaël was contently bundled up under his covers, red hair sprawled over his pillow. Verrs looked towards Nathanaël’s bedroom door for a moment, drifting out of the room and looking around the hall. The house was silent, no sounds of a coffee machine or humming coming from downstairs. It looked like Nathanaël’s father had to go to work early today.

Verrs sighed, zipping back to the ‘alarm’ clock that Nathanaël never actually programmed. She perched herself on it, leaning over its edge. “Hey! Wake up, Kid. It’s seven thirty in the morning.”

Nada.

The kwami rolled her eyes, inconvenienced. “Nathanaël!” she shouted, flying closer to his head.

“Y... Yeah.. Of course… Your hair always looks nice, Marinette…” the boy murmured, curling up slightly in his sleep, a stupid smile on his face. Verrs rolled her eyes with a sigh.

“Alright. You asked for it…” Verrs muttered before drifting in front of his ear, taking a deep breath. “HEY! _WAKE UP!_ ”

The speed that Nathanaël shot upright in bed was impressive to say the least, eyes wide and confused. After a moment of presumably remembering where he was, he slumped with disappointment.

“Sorry, Lover Boy,” Verrs started, drifting into his view, “but it’s time for school.”

He looked to the clock, and suddenly wore a look of alarm. Verrs watched with amusement as he kicked off the covers and sprinted the few yards to his closet, nearly tripping on the way.

“Alright, let’s not have a visit to the hospital this morning; relax.” Verrs followed closely behind him as he threw off his pajamas in a hurry.

“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?!” he accused as he pulled on a shirt, distressed.

“Well, Nathanaël, you have a very special device for that job,” she said slowly, motioning to the dusty alarm clock. Nathanaël looked about to say something, but apparently saw the validity of her statement as he didn’t object. He quickly pulled on pants and a jacket, grabbing his purple beanie off the floor and sliding it onto his head. He reached down to grab his sidebag, and the kwami darted in front of him, pushing him back by the nose. Nathanaël relented, moving back with a confused look.

“Hey! Aren’t you forgetting something?” Verrs eyed him critically, arms crossed, and Nathanaël thought for a moment.

“Oh, socks,” he mused, and jogged back to the closet.

Verrs groaned audibly. “That’s not what I was talking about!” She followed him again, standing on the closet’s doorknob as Nathanaël bent down to put on socks. “Something more important than socks?”

Nathanaël smiled politely, purposely giving her trouble. “Oh? What could be more important than _socks_?”

“Many, many things,” the kwami answered, antennae twitching. Nathanaël stood up straight again, scooping up his bag as he left the room hurriedly. Verrs followed after him. “For example,” she started, zipping ahead of him to hover in front of the front door, “me!” Nathanaël opened his mouth, and Verrs snapped at him. “Don’t say ‘Debatable’!”

Nathanaël closed his mouth.

Verrs pointed at him, leering sternly. “Don’t leave yet.” The kwami flew upstairs, returning with the miraculous in her hand, and to her delight Nathanaël was at the bottom step waiting. Frowning, but still there, and that’s what counted. She floated towards him.

“ _Please_ hold onto this. And take me with you.”

The kwami noticed that as soon as the artist saw the bangle, Nathanaël’s walls went back up, posture closed. He spoke hesitantly. “Verrs—”

“I won’t make any noise! I swear!” The kwami promised, looking up at him with sad eyes. “And I’ll stay in your bag! Please!”

Nathanaël shifted uncomfortably, concern flashing on his face. “I don’t know…”

“You don’t even have to wear it, just keep me and the miraculous in your bag.” Verrs looked away. “Although, I still don’t see why you wouldn’t want to wear it… But in any case, Pleaseeee?”

The kwami looked up at him with puppy eyes, and Nathanaël looked down at her, posture rigid— obviously struggling with which answer he was prepared to give.

“I… Um… Well…” Verrs put the puppy eyes into overdrive. Nathanaël covered his face with both hands, groaning. “Argh! Fine!”

“Yes!” Verrs exclaimed, doing a happy spin.

Nathanaël let his hands fall from his face, pointing accusingly at the kwami. “But you _can not_ come out. Or talk when _any_ people are around.”

Verrs saluted happily at him, and Nathanaël had to resist rolling his eyes. “Aye aye, Captain,” she chirped. “I’m no landlubber.”

“Alright,” Nathanaël sighed, resigned. He pulled up the flap of his bag. “Hop in.”

 =+=

They did end up getting to school in the nick of time, luckily. The bell rang just as he slipped through the door of his first period class, and he hurried to his seat, nervously avoiding the teacher’s gaze. This was probably going to be a common occurrence given that he was not a morning person, and he hoped that his teacher was more laid back than others in the past. As he sat down next to Juleka, the teacher made no mention of him to his relief, instead starting the lesson.

About halfway through the class, Juleka took his beanie and put it on without doing so much as looking at him.

“Hey!” He muttered out of the side of his mouth, pretending to be irritated with her.

She glanced to him with a mischievous smile. “Purple is _my_ color. I’ll bring you a different beanie tomorrow.”

“Fine,” he agreed, giving her a cross look. “Don’t forget. It completes my look.”

“What’s your look supposed to be, broke art student?”

“Eventually, yes. But let’s not forget that I’m talking to the personification of Hot Topic right now,” he pointed out, voice rising slightly.

“Do you have a question, Nathanaël?” the teacher’s voice rang out suddenly, and Nathanaël’s head snapped up to look at the lady, who was standing near the front of the class with a knowing look on her face. The room became silent, and Nathanaël went rigid like a deer in headlights.

It took a moment for him to respond. “A- Ah, um, no. Sorry, Ma’am.”

“Good,” she responded. “I will not hesitate to move you if you continue to talk.”

“Yes Ma’am.” He had his head looking down at his paper for the rest of the class.

 =+=

At the end of lesson Nathanaël packed his materials up quickly, hurrying out of the classroom with his head low. In the rush of people, he managed to make it out without getting a talking to from the teacher. Letting out a breath, he moved to the edge of the hallway by the lockers. A few moments later, Juleka exit the room frowning, still wearing his beanie. She weaved through the many people in the hallway to stand near him.

“Sorry for getting you in trouble, Nathan...” She frowned, looking guilty, and he tensed up.  
“N- No, it’s fine. I was talking too loudly, so it was my mistake,” he assured, waving his hands frantically. “Don’t feel bad about it.”

“I do, though... You didn’t deserve to get bothered.” She rummaged in her backpack for a second, and presented him with a small plastic package, bowing her head. “Here, take these Spider-Man multigrain crackers.”

He opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “You know, I’d love to, but I already have my _very own_ Spider-Man multigrain crackers.” he lied blatantly. “I really don’t need yours.”

“Yes, you do. Everyone needs multiple packs of Spider-Man crackers.” Juleka chuckled darkly, reaching out to grab his hand.

“I told you, I already have some!” Nathanaël insisted, backing away, but she shot out and got hold of his wrist. He clenched his hand into a fist before she could force the pack of garbage snacks into his hand.

“Stop hating Spider-Man! Take my gift!”

“This isn’t a gift, this is you giving me a part of your lunch you don’t want!”

“You ingrate!” she shouted, their conversation still drowned out by the chatter in the hallway. “What did Spider-Man ever do to you?”

“He… Um… Well, I have class, gotta go!” He quickly twisted out of her grip, Juleka shouting in surprise as he escaped down the hall. He was about a few yards away when something smacked him in the back of the head, and he turned around with exasperation to see the pack of Spider-Man crackers on the ground. Looking up, he saw a purple beanie in the sea of people walking the other way, and with a sigh, he picked up the snack. “Fine. You win this time.”

In study hall he took a snapchat of himself eating the crackers, drawn on tears flowing down his face. After using the snack for comedic effect, he threw them in his backpack for Verrs, who did not seem extremely happy about receiving them. He couldn’t blame her.

 =+=

Most of the day was pretty good, but chemistry could have been better.

“Alright, class. Today we’ll be starting a project to be completed and presented by Monday. Each of you will be assigned an element on the periodic table to research.”

“Nooo…” Rose moaned softly beside him, slumping onto their shared desk.

“You all will be working in groups of two,” the teacher continued, adjusting his glasses and looking down at his paper.

“Yes!” Rose exclaimed,  snapping upright again, and a good portion of the class turned around to look at both of them. Nathanaël reddened. Rose seemed oblivious to the attention, hands clenched at her chest and watching the teacher excitedly. After a moment of surprised silence the teacher continued.

“Er... Listen for your names for your _assigned groups_.” The mallet fell, and Rose brought her hands to cover her mouth, falling slowly back onto the desk.

“Fatality,” Nathanaël commented quietly, also disappointed.

“Nino and Savanna, Jacob and Neil…” Nathanaël waited on the edge of his seat as the teacher went through the list of names. “Marinette,” the teacher started, and Nathanaël leaned slightly forward, seeing Rose perk up beside him slightly. “And Rose.”

Rose sat up, she and Nathanaël exchanging a surprised look, and he offered her a goodnatured shrug and a nod. Rose leaned forward in her chair to wave excitedly at Marinette. “Marinette! Hi! We’re partners! Isn’t that grea—”

“Rose, please quiet down,” Mr. Raymond reprimanded, and Rose hurriedly apologized. Marinette smiled warmly at her and waved briefly back. “Nathanaël and Chloé...” Nathanaël’s jaw dropped in shock, a look of disbelief plastered to his face. A few members of the class gave him a sympathetic glance before looking back down at their papers, including Marinette. Everyone knew what was coming.

“Nathanaël? Excuse me, but I’d like to have a _different_ partner.” Chloé sniffed. She had her arm draped over the back of her chair, sparing him a cruel smirk before turning back to the instructor. A group of girls sitting in the desk seats near her giggled, also turning to look at him. Nathanaël felt like melting into his seat.

“Is there a problem, Miss Bourgeois?” the teacher asked, frowning at the group near the front.

“Of course there is! Someone like me shouldn’t be paired with someone like _him_ . Do you know who my father _is_ ?” Chloé flipped her ponytail. “Well, I guess the more important point is who _his_ father is. You won’t catch me dead with the son of a construction worker.”

Rose gasped, hand over her mouth, and the majority of the class looked similarly in awe, some amused, probably wishing they had a bucket of popcorn, and others looking horrified, presumably at what Chloé had just said. The blonde girl crossed one leg over the other, smugly smiling back at him as the gaggle around her burst into laughter. Nathanaël’s previously shocked expression warped into one of anger. He leaned forward, intending to say something, but Marinette suddenly stood up, her chair scratching over the tile floor.  

“Chloé! How could you say that?” Although Nathanaël couldn’t see her face, Marinette’s shoulders were stiff with anger.

“Easily,” the girl said, voice deceptively sweet.

“Marinette,” Nathanaël cut in quickly, and she jerked her head to look at him. “Thanks, but don’t bother wasting your time on her.”

Chloé laughed. “Funny, I’d say the _real_ waste of Pigtails’ time is standing up for someone without a spine.” Chloé leaned in, pretending to whisper to Marinette. “Watch out, Marinette, I bet he’s going to take this as a green light to ask you out.”

He stood up so quickly that his chair toppled backward behind him. “S- Shut up, Chloé!” He was sure that his face was completely red, but whether it was from embarrassment or anger was unknown even to him.

“Is that the best comeback you have?” Chloé mused, checking her nails. “You should relax; your face is starting to match the color of your hair.”

The teacher, who had been watching the exchange with complete disbelief, finally found his voice. “T- That’s enough! Chloé, this is _completely_ inappropriate talk for the classroom. I’m going to have to ask you to come with me to the Principle’s Office.

“Oh, I’d _love_ to,” Chloé started, standing up and picking her bag off the table, “but I’m afraid that I have somewhere to be.” She motioned with a flick of her wrist, and the three other girls stood as well. At the front of the class they presented themselves, all designer clothes and winged eyeliner. “If you’d like to schedule anything,” Chloé cooed, playing with the end of her hair, “please talk to my father ahead of time.” The group moved to the doorway and Chloé glanced over her shoulder, blowing a kiss to her latest victim. “Toodles,  _Pauper~_!”

The door clicked loudly shut, and the room was enveloped in a stunned, albeit short silence. After having their fill of staring at the closed door, nearly everyone turned in their seats to look at Nathanaël, and he very much so wished that he could just turn invisible. Or stop existing. Either one was fine.

“Um, Professor Raymond,” Rose started, pulling the room out of the thick silence, “I think you mentioned that each group would get a certain element to present for, but you never assigned elements to any of us.”

“A- Ah,” he responded. “You’re very right, Rose. Thank you for reminding me. There are a few more groups to sort out as well.” The professor shuffled through his papers once again. “Marcus and Angela, Keith…”

As the class was wrangled back into focusing on their projects, Nathanaël finally let out the strained breath he had been holding. He could feel the thump of his heart calming, but the tightness in his chest remained. There it was; the imminent misfortune. It had only been a matter of time.

His eyes drifted cautiously around the room. No one was looking at him anymore, thank god, but the aftermath was arguably worse— Several students were texting beneath their desks, no doubt about the events that had just transpired. By the looks of it, the story will have circled the entire school by lunch.

He felt a hand brush his arm and jumped slightly. Rose was still paying close attention to the teacher, or pretending to, but the sensation of her gripping his arm lightly called him back to reality. He hadn’t noticed how tense his posture was, and as he turned his head to her, her eyes darted over cautiously, mouth pulling into a frown. He looked away, patting her hand and sliding his wrist out of her grip. The class had quieted down, and now was as good of a time as ever.

He raised his hand, already grabbing the strap of his side bag with his other. “Professor, could I use the bathroom?”

The teacher looked up from his desk at him. “Yes, go ahead.”

Nathanaël slung his bag over his shoulder, nodding to a confused Rose as he passed, and made the walk of shame towards the door. Professor Raymond looked about to ask why the artist was taking his belongings with him, but the man closed his mouth and gave him a sympathetic look before turning back to his desk computer.

 =+=

The halls were empty. Luckily, class would not be over for another 20 minutes, giving Nathanaël plenty of time to stake out in the one place he was guaranteed not to be bothered in— The men’s bathroom on the second floor. It was slightly bigger than the other restrooms, having two stalls instead of one, which gave him a better chance of not being disturbed.

Locking the stall door behind him, Nathanaël ran his hands through his hair, strained.

>(The Quadforce) 11:23am [NH: im eating my lunch in a bathroom stall; does the high school experience come any more authentic than this]

>(The Quadforce) 11:25am [Mylène: Nathanael noooo :’( :’( :’( ]

>(The Quadforce) 11:25am [Mylène: Please come sit with me!!!]

>(The Quadforce) 11:25am [Mlle. PINK: can we please write a petition to expel chloe?!?!?]

>(The Quadforce) 11:26am [NH: you can try, but it won’t work :):) ]

>(The Quadforce) 11:26am [Mylène: Nate please eat lunch with me!! We could sit outside or in a classroom.]

>(The Quadforce) 11:27am [NH: sorry but im just going to stay here lol ]

>(The Quadforce) 11:28am [Jules: w8 what is happening]

>(The Quadforce) 11:28am [Jules: do i need to come get you nathan]

>(The Quadforce) 11:29am [NH: ive had my fill of public ridicule today, dont add “dragged out of mens room by a girl” to my life’s timeline please]

>(The Quadforce) 11:29am [Jules: are you like locked in a stall. Isnt there like only one actual toilet in the guys bathroom]

>(The Quadforce) 11:29am [NH: i went to the one with two so no one will try and open it]

>(The Quadforce) 11:29am [NH: why did i just tell you that]

>(The Quadforce) 11:29am [Jules: omw]

>(The Quadforce) 11:30am [Mlle. PINK:  jules no! Seriously dont]

>(The Quadforce) 11:30am [Jules: i was joking bae]

>(The Quadforce) 11:30am [Mlle. PINK: okay good]

>(The Quadforce) 11:30am [NH: i was scared for a second]

>(The Quadforce) 11:31am [Jules: what did chloe do though i havent heard yet]

>(The Quadforce) 11:31am [Mlle. PINK: she was a total bitch!! She made a scene when they were paired for a project today because of his dad’s job]

>(The Quadforce) 11:31am [Mlle. PINK: and when mari stood up for him chloe said nath would use the situation to get a pity date with her basically]

>(The Quadforce) 11:31am [Jules: what the fuck]

>(The Quadforce) 11:32am [Jules: dude this shit needs to stop. i understand that this is high school but how long has this shit been going on???]

>(The Quadforce) 11:32am [Mylène: I agree… Chloe has always been mean, but I figured she would grow out of it. :( No one likes her; you would think she had gotten the message by now.]

>(The Quadforce) 11:32am [NH: no way. if anything, high school made it worse. too many new people]

>(The Quadforce) 11:33am [NH: and of course she became the supreme leader of the asshole preps]

>(The Quadforce) 11:33am [Mylène: At least Marinette is still keeping hold of class president… Who knows what would happen if she didn’t!]

>(The Quadforce) 11:33am [NH: lmao i dont even want to think about it]

>(The Quadforce) 11:33am [Jules: the discourse]

>(The Quadforce) 11:34am [NH: but seriously, dont even bother giving chloe more attention. that’s what she wants]

>(The Quadforce) 11:34am [Jules: wtf man, you think that it’s ok for her to walk over everyone??]

>(The Quadforce) 11:34am [Mlle. PINK: juleka..]

>(The Quadforce) 11:34am [NH: of course i dont!!]

>(The Quadforce) 11:35am [NH: there just has to be a different way to deal with it than putting more fuel into the fire]

>(The Quadforce) 11:35am [Jules: ok but that strategy has literally never worked in the history of mankind. :/]

>(The Quadforce) 11:35am [Mlle. PINK: … :( ]

 

He considered responding again, but the conversation was getting heated. When the “:/” face comes out, you _know_ shit is about to get real. Personally, Nathanaël preferred the opposite. He pocketed the phone, trying to get comfortable on the toilet lid to no avail. He sighed, accepting the fact that he did not have nearly enough cushion on his butt for this kind of seat.

It didn’t take long for Verrs to slip out from under the flap of his side bag.

“That was crazy!” the kwami exclaimed, not exactly quietly.

“Shh!” Nathanaël reminded, eyes widening.

“No one’s here.” Despite her statement, Verrs did lower her voice.

Nathanaël made pleading eyes at her. “People can walk in anytime, please keep it down.”

“Fine, fine.” She floated over to him, perching on his shoulder. He glanced at her in his peripheral vision, sighed, and took out his phone again. She looked to it and commented, “Your phone was really buzzing after… Well, you know.”

“Yeah,” he replied sourly. “News travels fast.” He paused, running a hand through his hair, and then sighed. “I wish it didn’t travel at all.”

“Well… I mean, I didn’t mean to snoop, but… At least the texts you got were all supportive.” The kwami hovered down to the phone held in his hand, motioning to it.

“They pity me. Like Chloé said, I’m known for being… Spineless.” H e frowned. “I— I was going to _say something_ that time too, but Marinette ended up being quicker than me.’ I don’t even know if I’m happy or disappointed about that.”

“Well, at least she cares about you.”

“She cares about everyone. That’s just Marinette being Marinette.”

Verrs frowned, but said nothing.

 

>(Jules) 12:03 [sorry nathan, i didn’t mean to get mad at you. i just dont want my friends hurt.]

>(Jules) 12:03 [my opinion won’t change tho... chloe really has it coming.]

 

Nathanaël sighed, closing the notifications.

“Your friends are right,” Verrs stated. “That girl deserves a taste of her own medicine if you ask me.”

He looked to the determined kwami, and then back to his phone. “Well, I _didn’t_ ask you.” Nathanaël dipped his head regretfully. “Trust me, Chloé doesn’t play by the rules. Anything we send at her, she’ll throw back tenfold.”

“That’s a coward’s kind of talk,” Verrs sneered as she flew closer, hands on her hips.

“ _You don’t get it_.” Nathanaël countered, glaring. “Stop trying to inform me when you don’t even know what you’re talking about.  I’ve been dealing with Chloé for,” Nathanaël paused, thinking. He cringed. “...Well, most of my school experience.”

“Exactly,” Verrs said, tipping up her nose. “Look where you are now. Still dealing with the same trash.”

“That’s enough,” Nathanaël said, very sure that if the conversation continued it would escalate to shouting, and that wasn’t exactly something he could explain sitting in a bathroom stall. “We’ll talk later.”

The kwami did not look extremely happy with the idea, but went silent nonetheless, burrowing back into the side bag.

It was about thirty minutes later that she poked her head out again. “Are you staying here all day?”

“No. But Chloé is in my class after lunch.”

“She left, didn’t she?” Verrs pointed out, and Nathanaël shifted uncomfortably.

“I... Well, I don’t want to take the chance.”

“Liar,” Verrs accused.

“I’m not!” he protested, and the kwami stuck out her tongue at him.

She flew to hover in front of him again. “I know a lie when I hear it.”

Nathanaël frowned and relented. “I just… I don’t know if it’s better to go to class when everyone’s talking about me, or skip and give people _even more_ to speculate about.”

Verrs floated mid air, crossing one leg over the other. “It’s a no-win situation, Kid.” She gestured vaguely. “Might as well rip off the bandaid all at once.”

“...You think?” he asked, looking away.

“Yeah,” she responded. “Tomorrow it will be old news. Or at the very least, older news.”

He sat in a contemplative silence for a few moments before nodding solemnly. “...Alright. I’ll go to the rest of my classes.”

“Good,” the kwami chirped, smiling. “In the meantime, you should actually eat your lunch.”

Nathanaël waved her off, going back to his phone. “I’m not really feeling hungry right now. If you want, you can have it.”

“Okay,” Verrs replied, “but just this time.”

* * *

 

As soon as the bell rang, Nathanaël was out of his seat and heading towards the front of the school. That was usually where their group ended up meeting after class, and he waited at the side of the entrance. It didn’t take long for Rose to make her way out, and the two chatted idly for a bit before deciding no one else was coming. In no hurry, they made their way down the steps.

“Rose! Nathanaël!”

The voice was certainly unexpected. Rose and Nathanaël turned around, and to their surprise, Marinette was jogging out of the building after them. Rose tilted her head.

“Oh! Marinette...!” she trailed off as Marinette slowed to a stop in front of them. “I’m sorry, but there’s no way I’m going to be able to start the chemistry project today.”

“Eh?” Marinette responded, confused for a moment. She quickly caught on and smiled bashfully, rubbing her neck. “Oh! The project. No, that’s not what I was coming to talk to you guys about.”

“...What do you need?” asked Nathanaël, frowning slightly in concern.

“Well…! Um,” Marinette tried, “I was coming to see if you were okay, Nathanaël. Chloé said some horrible stuff to you in class today.”

Nathanaël felt the embarrassment coming on, swallowing his feelings and forcing a level attitude. It had been a few years since Marinette took on the burden of ‘damage control,’ checking up on whoever Chloé had gotten her claws on before they could possibly get akumatized. He reminded himself that this wasn’t something personal.

“Yeah, that’s Chloé,” he started, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. “T- Thanks for standing up for me Marinette, but I can take care of it.” He smiled humorlessly, shrugging his shoulders. “The world won’t be seeing anymore of ‘Super Nathan’ anytime soon.”

“Super Nathan?” Rose asked, and when he looked, Nathanaël noticed that she was struggling desperately not to laugh.

“E- Evillustrator, I mean!” Nathanaël quickly amended, but Rose was already laughing. “I was like twelve!” Nathanaël justified desperately.

“Well,” Marinette stated, looking thoroughly amused, “as long as we don’t see Super Nathan around, I think everything will turn out perfectly fine.” Her smile faded as she thought to herself. “I’m… Really not sure what we can do about Chloé, though. I’m sorry, Nathanaël.”

“It’s okay,” he stated firmly. “I’ll handle it.”

“ _We’ll_ handle it!” Rose corrected, looking up at Nathanaël with her fists clenched at her side. “You don’t have to wrangle that slimy eel alone, Nathanaël. I’m sorry that I wasn’t as quick as Marinette, but I _do_ want to help.”

Nathanaël looked vaguely surprised at Rose’s sudden outburst, and his expression softened into a sure smile, looking back to Marinette. “Don’t worry, Marinette. I think we have the situation covered.”

“You have great friends, Nathanaël.” Marinette smiled back, and he nodded in agreement. “Well, um, I’m kind of late to sewing club, so I’ll see you guys in chemistry.”

“Have fun!” Rose replied happily.

“Y- Yeah, have fun.” Nathanaël gave her a sheepish smile, before he suddenly looked distressed. “Oh! W- Wait! B- By the way! I’m not going to ask you out.”

She paused mid-step, a look of surprise on her face. “Oh…! Um… Alright!”

“I, uh, what I meant to s- say, is that if I _did_ ask you out, there’d be no correlation between what, u- um,  happened in chemistry class and me asking you out,” he clarified, gesturing with his hands as he talked. He could feel his face heat up.

“Yes, of course. I take everything Chloé says with a grain of salt,” Marinette assured.

“G- Good! Because, you know… If I did ask you out there would be other, um, reasons for it. Not. Uh, that one,” Nathanaël stuttered. Rose was struggling to keep a straight face beside him.

“Nathanaël,” Marinette was saying, but his mouth just kept running.

“Not that it wasn’t cool of you! It was, er, I mean, you’re, well, very brave for doing that. And there are, uh, many other reasons, definitely, if I _was_ to ask you out that I would— But I also know that you like Adrien, something I can respect, and—”

“ _Nathanaël_ ,” Marinette said, louder, and Nathanaël came to attention, posture stiff and mouth snapping shut. She smiled, reaching out to pat his shoulder in reassurance. “It’s okay, Nathanaël. I understand.”

“Oh. G- Good. I’m glad,” he replied tightly, posture going rigid at her touch.

“Anyway, I really need to go. Bye!” She waved, jogging back towards the school’s front doors, and Nathanaël stared as she went, oblivious to the very amused Rose watching him.

“' _Oh my god, Marinette touched my shoulder,_ ’” Rose said, in mock awe. “That’s what you’re thinking right now, isn’t it?” She smiled goofily at him.

“S- Shut up, Rose,” Nathanaël retorted, crossing his arms.

“You have it so bad! I can’t believe it.”

“I know,” Nathanaël sighed, posture slumping. “She painted her nails purple; I love purple… And they have cute polka dots on them... ” He uncrossed his arms and covered his face with his hands. “Why is this my life?” He asked, voice muffled.

“Don’t worry, Nathanaël,” Rose assured. “Anyone would be lucky to date you. Even it’s not Marinette, I’m sure you’ll find someone.”

He held his tongue, but in his head rang a chorus of ‘ _if not her, then what’s the point?_ ’ It was irrational. He knew that.

He couldn’t help but feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://pastebin.com/NSW76XU0


End file.
